Posted on 11/13/2012 5:57:34 PM PST by jazusamo
Obama’s second term driving firearms sales to new heights
President Obama’s re-election has sent Americans running to the gun stores. Sales of firearms and ammunition are way up in reaction to Mr. Obama saying during the debates he wants to ban everything from “cheap handguns” to common hunting rifles with scary-looking features.
The two publicly traded U.S. gunmakers have seen investors flock to their stock since Nov. 6. Sturm, Ruger & Co. and Smith & Wesson are both up over 15 percent, while the broader markets were down over the same period.
Gun dealers are seeing the same rush at their counters. In the past week, gun sales surged 70 percent at Sprague Sports in Yuma, Ariz., evenly split between handguns and long guns. “Since the election, it’s been very, very busy — stronger than this same time frame in ‘08,” said owner Richard Sprague, who runs the 56-year-old family business. “People don’t want to wait and see selection and availability if there are more government regulations.” Gun sales at H & H Shooting Sports Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla., have risen 105 percent in the past week, with handguns outselling long guns 3 to 1. The new guns are being put to use. Miles Hall, founder of the 32-year-old company, said he finds his 55-position shooting range is now at capacity 30 minutes after the 9 a.m. opening bell.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
The Car-15 should sell fast. That is one sweet, old-school basic setup. I am not much for all the doo-dads people like to affix to their ARs.
Sorry, I bailed out of my S&W stock, although it’s been going “ok”.
Why? Watching the short manipulation going on, finally pushed me over the edge. I pulled all stocks out of the market (save one. which is a bankruptcy proceeding). I’ve had it with the corruption.
But I wish you the best of luck.
An additional $1,500 in ammo/supplies added to the war room.
Cheers!
Last week I acquired the hog-huntin’ rifle I had been putting off for the past year.
Watch what happens with the first serious crisis mass shooting in a gun free zone – that’s when the spit is going to hit the fan….. along with many many ‘boating accidents’.
Sweet - my AK came unfinished, so I put some mahogany stain on her along with spar urethane. I haven’t sanded her with 220 grit sandpaper yet in preparation for the final coats, but she looks like a fighter!
Sweet - my AK came unfinished, so I put some mahogany stain on her along with spar urethane. I haven’t sanded her with 220 grit sandpaper yet in preparation for the final coats, but she looks like a fighter!
I looked at a 30-30 at my LGS, complete with scope, but couldn’t pass up 30 rounds of AK goodness (or evilness). :-)
I'm no FFL or range instructor, but you might want to consider weapons stouter than the AR-15/AK/AKS-class weapons with their "intermediate" rounds that are basically good out to about 200 yards, but haven't much energy left after that. (Another gun in that energy range is the .30 M-1 carbine, that has 20- and 30-round mags available and is famously wieldy and, with properly-measured factory or reload ammo, is much more accurate than its wartime reputation, when typical milspec ammo propellant charges varied 15% within a single lot.)
An AR-10 in .308/7.62 NATO would be a good choice. You can also get Russian Dragunov Saigas and Tigrs chambered in either 7.62x54R (Russian milspec rimmed ammo) or, nowadays, 7.62 NATO. A Saiga rifle runs about $600-700, the Tigr maybe $1100 or so. And then there's the old standby Garand in either .30-06 or rechambered for 7.62 NATO (almost identical ballistics -- in fact the Russian 7.62x54R round is very, very close as well).
The bigger guns rarely have the big "banana clip" mags ..... Tigrs take 5- and 10-round box mags, Saigas have some bigger ones available (I think) in the aftermarket, where there's a vigorous business in mag boxes for Saiga shotguns and rifles (of variable quality -- ask around). The Garand's capacity is fixed.
The Russian guns, unless they're pre-ban, have to be brought into 922(r) compliance, which usually entails some additional expense of changing out some Russian parts for U.S.-made ones. This 922(r) was introduced by Slick, Schmucky Chucky, DiFi and other gun-haters as an amendment to the 1968 Gun Control Act, so it was never sunsetted with the Clinton gun-grab bill (deliberately so).
The expense of bringing a Russian gun into compliance is a couple hundred bucks, up to $400 and more if you start adding US-made grips, stocks, post sights, etc.
And keep your receipts!!
There isn’t a constituency for a gun ban right now. Even if Feinstein introduces it, most politicians realize it’s political suicide. Gun owners need to remain vigilant, but the real battle will be supreme court nominations.
I bought an AR two days after the 2008 election. I don’t regret getting it, but in retrospect, it was a knee jerk reaction.
If anything, gun stores are busier now than they were then. My local store has had to add a “take a number” dispenser — although that is more a product of the new CCW permits than the election.
Saigas are not available in 7.62x54R or a Dragunov-type configuration.
There is also that perennial favorite, the FAL, which is also within that same price range. 20 round magazines for those are cheap and plentiful.
Also, the Russian guns, as imported, are 922r compliant (they wouldn’t be admitted otherwise). It’s only if you stick a larger magazine on them than they shipped with, or perform other changes (fitting a folding stock and pistol grip instead of the original Monte Carlo sporting stock it was imported with, for example) that you have to concern yourself with 922r.
Believe it or not, I’ve been seeing some reasonable prices on AR-15 type rifles at Wal-Mart. Just window-shopping myself, but thought I’d pass it on as FYI.
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That’s my model, 6721 Tactical Carbine.
During the ban, it was one of the most sought-after models, as only about 1700 made it out of the factory before the ban took effect.
Very accurate for a carbine, but very heavy up front because of the heavy barrel. All my other carbines are 6920 or similar, with the A2 government profile. Some guys are even returning to the pencil barrels of the A1 series.
Thank God I’ve reloaded for 25+ years. Ammo isn’t as cheap as it once was, but reloading takes off some of the sting.
What sort of sling system do you use? Right now, I am looking at the Blue Force UWL w/ Vickers 2 pt sling.
http://www.blueforcegear.com/universal-wire-loop-push-button-socket/
I am currently using a vtac sling on my other carbine and don’t care for it much.
I got a Saiga .308. It’s a very good, accurate rifle. It will easily reach out 400+ yards. The heavy barrel helps with the accuracy. I did not feel a need to convert the .308 as I did my 7.62 Saiga, so I kept it in its imported configuration with a Russian made Dragonov style stock. — not a 922 compliance issue as they are imported into the US that way. The only bad thing about the Saiga .308 is the magazines are a bit pricey. I bought several extra 8 round Russian mags for ~$35/each. On the bright side, you can use steel-cased Russian ammo which is usually about half the price of the copper cased US equivalent
We’re getting our oldest (14) something that goes ‘bang’ for Christmas. She’s too old for dolls anymore ;)
My Christmas list is practical this year: I want a pressure canner. I really liked the Kindle I received last year, but I think this year, dh and I are going to help out the gun industry in the gift we get ourselves. We need something that little 5’4”, 110 lb. me can handle but isn’t going to be dwarfed in the hands of my 6’4” spouse.
I’ve been using a Wilderness single-point sling with the fastex QD attachments. Unfortunately, I’m short, so I hangs very low. I’m thinking of upgrading to a combination sling that allows me to switch between single and two-point. I might just add another fastex buckle up front on my rail, or swap out for the MagPul sling. There’s a guy that tours the gun shows that has an entire booth dedicated to his slings. About $60, but it attached and adjusts in just about every way. The problem is I don’t like complexity. I don’t need to re-orient my sling every two minutes, so maybe a simple sling/hook rig will do.
The magpul sling looks like it would suit you. I agree completely about not liking complex slings. My friend has a 3 point sling....too complicated. The single point sling is good for maneuvering and transitions; but, I think the standard two point sling is what I prefer. The magpul sling lets you do both, so go for it.
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